Arsenal of Zero
by Slyr3x
Summary: Ancient Magic. A form of sorcery that could grant the wielder power far greater than even the most talented of Square-Class mages in the modern era. But what if Halkeginia faces one that they believed to not only have mastered all the knowledge that they hold, but also the one responsible for the creation of these "Invocations"?


**********As promised, here's the A/N.**

**********I've just thought of this fic a few days ago while I was playing a bit of Dota, but then remembered FoZ and the fear of Halkeginia of the natve Elves. And coincidentally, Invoker was my character of the week.**

**********You may about to notice that I'm putting a lot of detail when in this first chapter. It is only for giving some background and the reason for the transition, and also weighing the reaction of the characters. I'd like to stay as canon as possible, but how can they when you have dropped the epitome of their phobia about pointy ears to them?**

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**To all that reviewed, for what it's worth, you have my thanks.**

_Tirinir_

_For being the first reviewer, I bestow upon you a grand design of my own: The Ice Cream Waffle. It was so beautiful that I decided not to eat it and leave it in the fridge. It's yours now... if you mind paying for the shipping fee, that is._

_DarkBlight_

_Yeah, I noticed there weren't any x-overs about the game. So I thought - Why not? (A bunch of reasons popped up afterwards. Accursed brain)_

_CHPrime_

_Sadly, Rubick won't appear as well as AM, but I'm planning to make Omakes concerning different Heroes that Louise could summon. 'Sides, I could only imagine Anti-Mage going on a mage-killing spree for the heck of it._

_Lord Sigfry_

_My apologies if you find it incredibly dull. First chapter was meant to be slow to introduce some elements of the Dota-verse and traits of Invoker, as well as his capabilities. Can't give a good storyline without giving a good reason why I did now, can I?_

_Well, if you can, then good for you. __Don't worry though, expect more story and dialogue in future chapters... IF I decided to go on._

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**__****Disclaimer/s: I don't own anything other than the idea. ****__****But for old time's sake, I don't own Dota 2 or FoZ. If I did, results would be catastrophically hilarious and sad at the same time. Sly doesn't want that.**

**Anyway, Hello and welcome to Sly's Guide to Narrating for Dota.**

**Enjoy!**

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_*Skip this part if you want*_

_Dire_ and _Radiant_ - Intelligent entities of energy that had wandered space since Time was in it's cradle, and was in conflict ever since the beginning of their existence. Their power so great that they could provide herculean amounts of kinetic energy, the promise of security, and even the miracle of resurrection. They would give all they have for only one condition: Servitude.

Many of those who had thrived near these Ancients have been charmed by their unearthly power, and was enthralled not long after they harnessed their energies. Soon after the alien elements acquired their new servants, they made them engage in a war for their 'defense' in their behalf.

It was to be expected that their compliments and contradictions would no doubt take hold of whom they control. The Radiant might have swirled around life and lightness, but it held a menacing deceit beneath. And whereas the Dire was visibly revolved around death and decay, a blinding inevitable truth hid within it.

For all this time, the Ancients had been patiently working to resume the timeless war that had been the cause of their initial banishment. And as Heroes from all over found themselves drawn into the fray, none suspected that they were taking part in the ultimate battle of a conflict that had raged since the beginning of time. A conflict that would go on again and again, up until time itself meets its end.

One such Hero knows very well of the repercussions the war would give. After all, he was currently locked between the very fabric of the cosmic tapestry itself. Multiple times before, in fact. However, no proverbial 'net' of the Ancient would scoop him back into the world of the living.

Not after that incident. Everything he once knew either froze over, burned down to ashes, or was utterly digested by a black hole. As for him? He was now doomed to wander forever in his dream-like state, whose fate now was to wait until the bliss of insanity finally takes over.

And that's what irritates him the most. Insanity will never come to the one that completely mastered it when it almost consumed him all those years ago. Instead, it made it stronger when it brought him the knowledge to unlock the longevity of a nigh-immortal, and allowed him to access his very own private collection deep within his Arcanery: His own mind.

That said, the mere thought of watching nothing but the void while sifting through his vast palette of invocations was not welcome. Reasons being the inability to practice said invocations, up to the idea of being stuck forever in one place will simply not do. He shudders at the implications it might bring to his plans.

Admittedly, his search for further enlightenment might seen to be not anything special, especially to the feeble mind of those who succumbed to **Ignorance.**

Ah... such is the woes of the Learning One.

* * *

A certain pink-haired magus was also facing her current, and quite possibly her biggest, dilemma this _week_. She was sick of being treated as the lowest of her class by her peers. Sure, she excels far _beyond_ them academically. But magically? She was a total _Zero_.

Zero! Ooh! That blasted word! She hated it with burning passion that exceeds even the mightiest flames that barbaric Germanian could ever hope to ignite.

Briefly recalling the revered 'Rule of Steel', she nodded to the bald professor and walked forward to proceed with her summoning. She couldn't help but hear more of the boorish comments from her fellow classmates in hushed tones as she stood silently.

Every part of her body told her to scream at them, but she knew it wouldn't be enough. So, she simply blocked their hurtful words as much as she could. Mother taught her better than that, she thought.

Her mother... she winced slightly when she thought back to her. Elder sister Cattleya always said that family would stay in their hearts forever, but was it true? Both her mother and Eleonore never even bothered anymore. And Louise knew better than to burden both of them with her constant failures.

Cattleya was the only one who understood, and in some cases, her father. She had even stayed in the Academy just to keep her company in her first years, and it was one of the few moments held close by Louise. One such memory is that they played a lot when they were little, even with little '_brat'_ that was Henrietta back when she was a child.

Back then, her sister would share her experiences to get through the stages in the Academy, and Louise would listen. In times where the youngest would return in tears, her elder would always provide her moral support to get through her sorrows, and instead replace them with renewed courage. Inevitably, a tight bond was forged that made them inseparable.

But, she had forgotten that Fate tended to be cruel, and it was now a distant memory that was, once upon a time, a reality.

Her sister was not faring well, that Louise knew. The illness Cattleya received from her younger years weren't healed over time, and the cure was almost impossible even for the most talented water mages. She was sick, and only time would tell the outcome. So, her mother decided that it was for the best for Cattleya to return and leave Louise to learn on her own from then on forwards.

Her sister Cattleya, her pillar of strength, was now gone. No, she didn't die. Just very ill to the point she'd have to stay at home, probably for the rest of her life. But still, little by little, the structure that was Louise started to crumble in time. Nobody could blame her. Nor do they even have the right to. The loneliness was just much harder to bear with every passing day.

Now... This was it. She scoured almost every corner of the school's library for this day in hopes that she could find something that would add an edge to her summoning. What would about to occur in a few moments would ultimately decide her fate. It would either prove herself to be a true noble, or to be nothing more than a glorified commoner.

May it be a small bird, a cat, or even a tiny ant, she didn't care. Although a manticore, a dragon, or a griffon would be nice, it would be fine as long as she could prove that she, too, can succeed. She just hopes that the Founder would smile upon her and omit the expected violent explosion, which would no doubt kill said familiar and, of course, lead to jeopardizing herself and her entire career. Again.

Right here and now, this was her moment. Everyone else around was now deemed** insignificant.**

She'll show them...

She'll show them that she, too, was worthy to be called a mage.

And more importantly, a mage worthy of her name - a _Vallière._

* * *

**[Chapter 1: A New Age]**

The _Invoker_ was still disgusted at himself when he was reminded of his failure to see the Ancient's true reasons even after the end of the first war. It infuriated him to no end that he was but lured into foolishly participating in their errant ways, which lasted for so long that his memory could not remember _how_ he had been persuaded. And Invoker does not simply NOT remember things.

Well, he did. Once. Or more accurately, he forced himself not to. Never going to get drunk again. _Ever_

Defense of the Ancients. Only after countless time loops did the truth reveal itself, and consequently their purpose for the 'war' was explained to be anything but that. It was just a tedious conflict between two alien energies that managed to enthrall half the world into their bidding. If he had known of the outcome beforehand, he would have exerted his efforts in destroying them both himself instead.

Now... every 'Hero' including himself reap whatsoever consequences they might have sowed. It was unknown what happened to the others after most of the elementals had gone rampant, but he was certain that their situation might not be any better compared to his own.

Ah, how he wanted it to be like those simpler times that came after the closure of the first war. Sure, he would normally spend time with himself meditating or reading a reasonably thick tome to pass the time, but that didn't mean he never takes a chance to socialize. Actually, the creeps would prove to be much better company right now, or probably even the Nyx Assassin.

He missed those bloodthirsty lunatics.

_'...Might as well get on with the usual routine...' _

Invoker breathed in slowly, calming himself to prepare to search around his Arcanery once again. Opening his hand, a small orb of light started to form on his palm, and slowly it became bigger until it was about the size of his head. Satisfied, the arch-mage released the white ball of energy from its leash, and allowed it to dance around his form with two more that quickly followed it. His lips parted slowly, and spoke to call upon the name of each orb that gained its color.

**_"Quas_."**

The first orb was blue. It was the one that Invoker favored most during his meditations, even while in the middle of a war. To put it simply, he could have access to a state of complete control and unquestionable power, but it was always able to be so calming, so peaceful that it can make one feel as serene as the element itself. As one of the main ingredients of Life, it is possible for him to heal as much it can do harm with it.

**_"Wex"_  
**

The second orb to materialize was purple. It served to be quite hassle even for the Invoker back when he was still in his first attempts to complete his very first original sorcery. During his last attempts, he learned that his failures were because of the mistakes that was his earlier methods.

After clearing his mind with the energy of _Quas_, he could finally see why the energy couldn't be controlled: _It can't. _The purplish energy is notorious for it's free nature, that much he's certain, and experience told him that to try to put reigns on it is highly ill-advised. Needless to say, it was a story to be forever locked away in the deepest recesses of his memory.

Instead of trying to force it, he had to synchronize his own to it so he could just 'go with the flow' - being free as the wind. With it, he could be as graceful as the gentle breeze, or be as devastating as a powerful tornado.

**_"Exort."_  
**

Lastly, the third and final of the three was similar to an orb of flame. No, the Invoker does not chuck it in the same fashion as the typical fireball conjured by even the most incompetent sorcerer. Similar to Quas and Wex, this type of energy increases the Invoker's abilities, but unlike the two, this gives further access to the more _violent_ spells of his Arcanery. Once seen, any wizard worth his salt may able to sense the raging flames that was concealed within it.**_  
_**

* * *

_On a completely unrelated note, there was one time where a Invoker came across a journal of an old fire mage that told him that flames could not only destroy, but heal as well. He was proud to say that he confirmed(sort of) that theory, if you count _severely_ cauterizing the wound anyway. Actually, it did more harm than good... so it's safe to say that it successfully failed spectacularly._

_He blames Clinkz. That lying old bag of bones._

* * *

Thus, one of his very first original contributions to sorcery was completed: The Spherical Sorcery of Quas, Wex, and Exort. A trademark of his during the war of the Ancients. It was created solely to call upon a specific spell from his nigh-limitless list of Invocations that he had learned from the past aeons.

It was sad, really. He was/is one of the most feared and respected figure since the beginning of his jaunt for enlightenment. Recognized as an illustrious arch-mage that learned, practiced, and mastered many _godlike_ sorcery, even _beyond_. The only one he could respect as his equal to the trade was Rubick, no matter how seemingly clownish he could be at times.

Here? Nothing mattered. Only emptiness.

Until now... that is.

**_"...My ser**nt th*t e***ts som****re in t**s va** univ***e...!"_**

Alarmed, the three orbs vanish abruptly the moment Invoker's mind focused to reach out to the black void around him, actively searching for the foreign presence.

Tearing a rift to this dimension was no simple task to accomplish, let alone to sustain one's mind to avoid being ripped apart, but here was one that could. And he was certain that he still held his sanity, and his admittedly _very old_ age didn't count to make him _senile_ to be able to hear voices.

**_"...My d*vine, **au**ful, wise, and powerful s***ant, heed my call...!"_**

_'Now I certainly heard something.'_ It sounded kind of like a girl... A young sorceress, maybe? But what is she saying?

Judging by the words within the girl's incantation(?), it was slightly similar to the recent rituals made by the typical _modern_ magi. It was the only lead he could come up with.

Sorceries from his time, or "Ancient Magic" as dubbed by the younger generations, do not require excessive regents or focal points like wands. Incantations needed to invoke a spell might take much more time back then, but it was needed to maintain control over the energy buildup. Ignoring such things often lead to... messy results.

All one needed to properly invoke was the mind, but the drawback was they had to resort to specialization, and that a common magi could only afford one spell. Two or three on rare occasions.

As for the Invoker, he was different as he learned them all, and even more. If memory serves right, Invocations that needed this type of incantation vaguely reminded him of one of his older methods about the school of conjuration, or more accurately, the subject of summo... ning... oh... Oooh!

**_"...I wish for you, from the bottom of my heart, to answer my guidance and appear!"_**

A runed portal suddenly revealed itself a few feet away from the magus. His eyes widened in surprise, but the magus immediately composed himself as he scanned every last detail it held. It was yet to react, but he waited if anything would come out from the other side. Afterall, he couldn't afford to be caught off-guard in case something finally decides to lash out suddenly.

Minutes passed silently, so he decided to float near to examine it's more eye-catching details, but still held a cautious distance. Interestingly, he could recognize the star-shaped pattern that dominated the entirety of the portal - a pentagram.

_'A demon's trick?'_

But that is unlikely. Their laws down in their dimension was made for demons BY the demons, and with good reason. Shadow Demon's initial fall was a testament to that.

He wasn't sure where it might lead, or even know what could've held this kind of power to successfully pin-point him exclusively in this infinitely vast realm. For all he knew, this could be a painfully obvious trap that would cause him a great deal of grief to get himself out of. It's exactly what he feared most - Something this powerful that he didn't know already.

A part of him wanted to see the other side, and learn of it himself. Besides, what's the worst thing that could ha-

No... No. Nope! That line of thought is purged.

Cautiously, Invoker reached out to the portal and began to feel it's energy with his right palm. He felt a faint pull of gravity from the portal, and could tell it became stronger the more his hand went closer to it as if it could sense him. The magus hastily withdrew his hand before he could touch it's surface, not wanting to risk it any longer. It was dangerous, and it was meant for him.

Tapping deeper into his Arcanery, he recalled every mana-dispersing spells he could remember from Endoleon's scriptures and reinforced ones that could to his own left hand, causing it to glow a pinkish light.

Not wasting a moment after his silent consensus, Invoker formed his hand into a sort of spear, then combined with the added strength and speed of Wex and Exort, he struck right in the center portion of the portal.

_***Crack!***_

The portal's intricately rune-decorated form started to shatter like glass, with the middle portion gouged open from the force of the blow. As the rippling waves from the center spread outwards, the energy dancing across it's surface shimmer brightly.

The magus' battle hardened pupil-less eyes never left it's gaze on his outstretched still-magically charged hand, waiting to see what sort of backlash would happen with the sudden dispel.

He didn't expect the unknown disembodied voices that started drilling holes into his head.

**_"Uh... w*sn't s*met*ing sup*os*d to ha*pen t* Zero?"_**

**_"B*si*es b*ing exp*lled?"_**

_'What in the...'_

As expected, it returned not long after it's premature dissolution, and this time with a vengeance as it grew far bigger than it was before. He didn't notice his mouth moved slightly apart, and anyone that knew this kind of summoning could no doubt do the same. Okay, sure it was a little sudden, but he was adamant that nobody else in any plane of existence can successfully channel _this much_ just to get their way into this plane.

**__****_"At le*st we kn*w Zero's goin* ou* w*thout a b*ng this ti*e."_**

**__****_"I co*ldn't agr*e m*re."_**

He wasn't entirely sure what was happening with all these voices swimming around his head. Disoriented as he was, he stretched out both of his hands towards the portal. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, whatever mana was left in him was called upon to gather to his hands once again. He began to feel the stronger pull of gravity that complemented the runed gate's size. If it accumulates any more power, he would no doubt be torn on two if he continued to fight it.

So why fight?

_'Wex, Wex, Wex.'_

Three purple spheres crackled with power as they danced rapidly around him. Behind the flaps of his hood, the eyes of the Invoker shined as he charged the spell to its fullest extent. The spell he chose can't stop what was about to happen, but why would he stop it? It was just a, hopefully, harmless summoning. Not that he was being paranoid. After all, he was just only following his instincts as a magus.

Those who summoned him might just themselves having a_ little_ discomfort.

As the light from his hands brighten amidst the dark space of the void, a soft spoken voice in his head caused him pause abruptly. It was from the young sorceress, the one responsible for his grief.

_**"Oh, Founder... please... anything... anything at all... **__** I'm no Zero...**_"

It sounded so fragile, weak, vulnerable to an extent. The summoner was pleading for something the Invoker could not understand. But then, his thoughts were interrupted when he winced as he felt the growing pain in his head. He was reminded why holding a spell for so long is a one-sided fight to an irritation that refused to go away.

_**"Please... I know... I know there's still hope for me..."**_

The magus gritted his teeth, the developing headache threatening his concentration. He couldn't spare any more time to listen.

Deep down, he was delighted that he would finally walk the material world once again. Perhaps his earlier plans of obliterating his summoner with the rays of the sun wouldn't such a great way to show his deep gratitude, and gratitude was something every Hero takes very seriously. Who knows? He might just end up somewhere he didn't know.

Needless to say, Invoker loved to learn. He enjoyed discovery as much as Tinker enjoys his so-called 'lasers'.

And so, just before a flash of bright white light consumed his vision, an amusing thought briefly crossed his mind just as he was about to raise his arms.

_'So begins a new age of knowledge...'_

**"Wex Magnelectros!"**

* * *

Suppressing a yawn, _Professor Jean Colbert _lightly tapped the soft soil below him with his staff as he watched over the students of his class. In the Tristain Academy of Magic, the Springtime Familiar Summoning was considered to be a big event for the second year students, and he was the one chosen oversee each of their summons for this year.

Luckily, the Founder has blessed them with a beautiful clear sky to proceed with the summoning ritual without the threat of mother nature ruining the seemingly perfect day for the event.

Other than taking note of the summoned familiars and their masters, he was to evaluate the summoner for his performance and report include it to his report to the headmaster. Occasionally, Colbert would inspect a familiar that caught his interest, and commend the student for his/her success.

"Ms. Adrianne, it's your turn to proceed with the summoning." he announced while idly looking at his list.

"Finally!"

Familiar summoned. Contract is made. Colbert lists down name of student and the summoned familiar.

Truthfully, Colbert much preferred to be busy tinkering with his inventions back in his lab. Especially if he was *this* close to finalizing the finishing touches of his latest project. Of course, the good professor preferred to stay in the good side of the Church and not be branded as a heretic.

He was still perplexed why would he be treated as such, but the headmaster was extremely serious about the subject. So, whether he liked it or not, he decided that it would be safer putting a lid on his technological discoveries for now.

Still...

_'Hm... should I show it to the students?' _he thought._ 'I just can't imagine them being interested with something so alien... and boring.'_ Colbert sighed, shaking his head. _'Maybe if I could just meet a someone who understands...'_ Suddenly, his downcast expression lit up when an idea struck him. _'Oh I know! I could ask Ms. Loun-'_

"_*Ahem*_ Professor..."

Colbert blinked and turned his head to the side. There, he saw Kirche looking at him with a disappointed expression as she idly twirled a finger through her scarlet red hair.

Of course, the good professor is still, in fact, a fairly young adult male(or so he believes). Despite the protests his morals and codes as a noble gentleman were giving him, his eyes couldn't help but betray them as they casually drifted down to the dark woman's _generous_ bust.

Unfortunately, the redhead knew, judging by the sly wink and the admonishing finger she showed to him.

"Uh..." The Germanian rolled her eyes good naturedly at his mild embarrassment, saying nothing more as she pointed a finger towards the summoning circle.

The bald professor wrinkled his nose and adjusted his glasses with his free hand. He didn't try to say anything since he was certain it would just end up as an incomprehensible sputtering, which would no doubt lead him further down the hole he was making for himself.

Colbert blames those horrid thoughts the headmaster provided for playing with his blasted treacherous hormones.

Looking to the direction the Germanian pointed, he saw one of his students, whom he perfectly recalled was Tabitha, in the middle of finishing the familiar contract with a dragon that complemented her hair color. The Gallian signaled for her familiar to lower it's head, which the newly summoned scaly creature happily complied.

For a dragon being able to be this casual is surprising to say the least. On it's first moments after the sudden summon no less! Most creatures tend to be violent due to being, to put it bluntly, _kidnapped _so abruptly, and only a few were docile and cooperative to the idea of being a mage's familiar.

She pressed her hand against its cheek gently, rubbing it comfortingly as she did so, before bending forward and kissing it on the snout. The dragon's eyes widened when the familiar's runes appeared on it's neck, but then elicited a soft rumble with it's throat before giddily cooing to it's new master.

A quick familiar rune sketch to his notebook and a word to congratulate the blue-haired girl later, the professor scanned around to check on his students and their respective familiars, looking for anyone that was yet to summon theirs and just needed some motivation.

"Is that everyone?" the professor asked.

"Not yet professor." Kirche announced. "Miss Vallière has yet to summon hers."

He could already feel the headache the two girls would give him. He wasn't ignorant of the fact that Louise was being ridiculed by the rest of the class, and that the only thing he could do without being part of a bigger issue was reprimanding them. Some would listen, but of course, due to their 'high and mighty' status of being a noble, it wouldn't be long before the same thing happens again.

Honestly, most children were so _different_ these days. Why, if they lived through the same years as he did, he doubted that even one of them would last a second with the rigorous trials he and his peers would have to through just to survive. If only they knew how savage life could really become...

How could war truly change a person's view of the world...

_'That wasn't you anymore, Colbert' _he told himself. And no, he isn't senile._ 'I'm just your average, successful, and... balding professor.' _He almost choked at the last one. Really? He _had_ to remind himself of his recent hair-loss problem. He sighed mentally.

As usual, the students all frantically searched for any cover they could find, with the ones that were more attuned to the element of earth hiding behind their own barriers. A good example was Guiche de Gramont, who was now shielded by a bronze Valkyrie with a distinctively large and thick shield of bronze held tightly by both of its hands.

Surprise, surprise.

Well, he certainly couldn't blame them. He, too, was hiding behind his own invisible blast shield.

"Good Luck, Zero! Who knows, maybe it wouldn't be just your clothes this time!" Kirche called out mockingly from behind Tabitha and her dragon, earning a few snickers from the rest of the class.

"Shut up, Zerbst!" said pink-haired girl snapped.

Colbert rubbed his forehead, sighing. "Miss Vallière..."

"B-but...!" she sputtered. The professor heard another round of barely held snickers.

"Just proceed with the summoning, if you please?" said Colbert almost pleadingly.

"...Fine..." she conceded, bowing her head slightly. But then, Louise grumpily pointed a finger to the rest of the hiding onlookers behind the professor. "But I'll show you! All of you!"

"Show us what, Louise?" asked the Gramont boy. _"Nothing?" _he was met with an indignant huff.

Without further ado, the youngest Vallière proceeded with the incantation for her familiar summoning ritual, albeit a _little_ ticked off. All the professor could do was hope for the best(which was... not much) and started counting down in his head. Everyone else in the vicinity but the professor and the pink-haired girl held their breaths while they waited. In only a few short moments, the professor would either see a beaming or soot-covered teary-eyed Louise.

"-vine, and powerful servant, heed my call...!"

Colbert tensed. He briefly watched the ritual circle glow as it shifted colors, growing brighter and brighter each time it changed.

"...I wish for you, from the bottom of my heart-"

Before he could close his eyes completely to prepare for the incoming deafening sound of an explosion, he swore he saw a bright flash of... pink?

"-to answer my guidance and appear!"

...

...

...

...Er...

Was the explosion so great that it mercifully blew his eardrums and numbed the pain?

Most likely.

The professor slowly opened his eyes, and carefully looked around the state the area was in. The only details he saw was the distinct lack of a cloud of dust, the grass still being... green(way to go cap'n), and, thankfully, not a sign of any near-death students lying around.

So... no explosion?

Colbert frowned. This only meant two things. The professor surveyed the other students one last time before turning his attention to where he believed the young Vallière, and hoped that a familiar of her own was with her.

Unfortunately, his fears were only confirmed.

_'Poor girl...'_

He never believed that Louise was incapable of proving her noble heritage. While explosions were the only result she could provide, it was still made because of her willpower- her magic. If the young Vallière was truly just a commoner in all but title, then she would've never had any results at all.

But now, there was nothing. No explosion, and that meant no magic.

Just..._ nothing_.

So, Colbert found himself adding yet another heart-wrenching scene to his bucket list. It wasn't everyday you can a torch-bearer of the infamous Rule of Steel crumble. If this wasn't enough for the girl to be expelled, then Karin would no doubt take her home, forcefully if she has to, the moment she gets wind of it. No pun intended.

"Is it over?"

_'Oh no'_ he thought. He forgot he wasn't the only one around.

Sure enough, every student came out their hiding after checking if their body parts was still attached to them. Only time will tell when would the murmurs finally b-

"Uh... wasn't something supposed to happen?" a male student started. The professor believed it was Raul _'Wait, no. __I think that was Rufus... Raulus?_ Guh!'

A snort came from behind Raul... Rufus... Raulus... whatever! "Besides being expelled?" said male student B while dusting off his uniform, an obnoxious grin adorning his face.

"At least we know Zero's not going out with a bang this time." remarked a female student, and received hearty chuckles from her peers.

It was not long until nearly everyone who mocked Louise, sans Zerbst for some odd reason, joined in the 'fun' while blatantly ignoring the pink-haired girl's state. Those who witnessed first-hand of the esteemed De la Vallière's youngest's recent and most likely last attempt gave their own jeers with expressions of mirth practically stapled on their faces.

That was until they were met with Colbert's cold gaze laced with disapproval. Even though the professor's old military neutral expression kick in, they could still sense the pure disappointment practically oozing from him. Enough was enough.

"Class is dismissed." He announced with a voice of indifference, and turned his back to them to see a girl that was looking at him with reddened eyes. "You may all return now to the academy." he added with a similar tone.

"But professor, what about the Ze-" he was interrupted when Colbert suddenly thudded his staff to the ground. The poor sap swore he felt the ground shake slightly.

"I said..." he started, not even bothering to look at the student. "You. Are. Dismissed." he uttered with every single drop of venom he could muster.

Every student behind him, even the red haired Germanian, felt the area around them intensify significantly with the sudden wave of heat. Not only that, the raw fear of being in the presence of a predator was also clawing their willpower away. Only one took note of the brief flash of a faint apparition of a serpent that encompassed the academy professor.

Wordlessly, each one of them walked or levitated away with their familiars in tow in fear of being cooked alive on the spot, with just the Zerbst sparing a last worried(?) glance to the still-weeping pinkette before following the others.

Colbert breathed deeply through his nose, attempting to calm himself. "Now..." he started. At the sound of his voice, the only student left behind looked at him wearily, her eyes revealing two rivers of tears. "Miss Vallière... I kn- Oof!"

All that the professor knew was that a blur of pink engulfed his vision, and something crashed to him a little none too gently. The next second, he was looking down on Louise, who was now hugging him tight and close, while bawling her eyes out and soaking his clothes with her tears. He knows Louise was trying to say something amidst her sobs, but the professor could only hear if she 'could try again' and that she's 'not a failure'.

Suddenly, Colbert felt very uncomfortable. No, it wasn't like it was the first time a someone came crying to him. Actually, one could say that it's a common occurrence to see the professor trying to console a staff member, specifically one of the maids, after he/she was treated badly by one of the nobles. But this? This was different. There was no 'silver lining' he could think.

Even if he does give the pinkette something to hold on to, there was no doubt that Karin would just forcefully pull her away from it and start to do things her way. And everything about 'Karin's Way' just screams bad news for the youngest Vallière's future.

Rule of Steel be damned, the girl would break.

Speaking of something that could break, he knows that his aching back wouldn't last any longer under this much stress. By Brimir's beard, the girl's strength speaks in volumes in contrast to her seemingly frail figure. Heck, he swore he was hit by an enraged manticore when the girl crashed onto him.

The professor closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. Right now, he was more worried about the crying girl that was currently glued to his chest. Slowly, he raised his free hand and gave the small girl a reassuring pat on her back. It was only a few minutes later that the girl finally pulled away and shook her head, then wiped the spare tears from her cheeks.

"Please professor... please let me try again." she managed to choke out. "It was just a... a mistake!"

"Now now, you know that I cannot allow that. The summoning onl- Louise, don't stare at me like that." the girl didn't relent her assault.

The professor sighed in exasperation, then closed his eyes while processing his choices.

Normally, a professor wouldn't allow it in the same day, and only let the student try again if he or she trained more for the summoning ritual. Now, however, there wasn't no 'next time' for the poor girl. This was pretty much her last attempt. She wouldn't just fail and repeat the year. It was something much, much worse...

Colbert looked at Louise eye to eye, and he saw the determination in her eyes. On one hand, he denies her of her second chance and just leave her to accept being a thoroughly magic-less noble of Tristain, thus placing the weight of ruining _yet another_ life of a child on his already-weary mind.

On the other, Louise succeeds and utterly destroys the entire continent for accidentally putting too much of her explosive willpower, and poor Colbert being the only one having the wrath of the accusing finger of almost all life in Halkeginia. Including Brimir's.

Tough choice.

He sighed.

"Alright..." he conceded. "There will be none of that!" Louise, who already had her arms out to crush the professor again, shrunk back and blushed in embarrassment.

Uttering a small 'thank you', the pinkette ran back the summoning circle. Now, she could concentrate better. There wasn't anyone around that would ridicule her, and that she was now free to do what she needed. And so, the professor watched as Louise began preparing for her incantation once more.

As the summoning circle glowed, Colbert could feel that there was definitely something different. He could visibly see sparks of pink arcing the girl now that he focused more on it, but he didn't try to intervene and thought it was just because of the summoning. But then, the sounds became more audible as the winds around the pinkette blew ever more fiercely.

It was nearly the same as before, but she didn't specifically wish for something that's 'divine', 'wise', 'beautiful', ' or even 'powerful'. The girl then clasped her hands together and bowed her head slightly, as if in prayer or in deep thought. In her mind, she only wanted something, anything, to let her know that she is as capable as anyone else.

She simply just want to know...

* * *

_Fate was, once again, bored. Her hands moved in an animated pace as she worked with her tools. A new weave here, cut a little piece from there. Add new threads, remove old ones. Ooh! This one looked pretty, might as well include it to the mix. Ew... why did she put this thing here again? It looks ugly. Ah! Make a loop around this one, tug this little thing right h-_

_Wait, is that...? It is!_

_She frowned. The intended design on that same particular patch got mixed by the threads from the others yet again. It might not be as prominent as the other patches, but she was sure it wasn't just a coincidence... how curious._

_Oh well! Might as well work with it._

* * *

The professor's eyes darted around. Could Louise even feel what was happening right now? He held his staff tightly, something was wr-

Colbert felt a sudden, instinctive fear, and his old battle-hardened instincts screamed to him. He quickly bent his knees on a defensive stance, and held his staff in front with both of his hands. For a brief moment, the years of training, along with the experience that came with his past career, kicked in. "Louise! Get out of there!" he ordered with steel in his voice, quickly gathering as much willpower he could get.

The girl didn't respond, much to his disdain. The professor cursed and ran as fast as his feet could carry him to the oblivious girl. He reached out with his hand once he was close, and pulled her into a one-armed embrace protectively. She yelped in surprise, but her protests were cut short when she saw the swirling energy of pink lighting growing above the summoning circle.

In a matter of seconds, Colbert twirled his staff with one hand and held it out in front. With a quick incantation, he slammed its bottom tip to the ground, causing a shock wave of energy to burst out. Immediately, he let go of his staff and turned his body around, using his back to shield the frightened girl from the imminent brunt of the blast.

The air from the summoning circle fizzled, then-

_***Fzzshh- boom!* **_

He could feel his eardrums burst at the sound of the mighty explosion, and the concussive force that almost threw him off his feet and up to the air. His hastily made barrier was smoking, with cracks evident on it's corners. Soon, a large cloud of dust formed around him and over the barrier, his ears were still ringing due to their close proximity to the explosion.

Suddenly, a pulse of pink energy blew past them, and completely overwhelmed the shield he created. Colbert winced in pain the moment it swept through him, as if his strength was siphoned out of his body. Louise elicited shriek, as she must have been affected as well.

Silence reigned for a few moments, before a distant thunderclap was heard from a great distance away. Colbert thought that the headmaster would have been alarmed of the situation by now. As volatile as the Vallière's willpower was, it certainly couldn't reach this much raw power... right?

The professor straightened his posture a little, but never did let his guard down. His eyes looked down on the girl he held, her eyes overshadowed by the bangs of her pink hair. "Louise, are you alright?" he asked. When the girl didn't answer, he quickly checked for her pulse. Relief washed over him when he confirmed that she was just unconscious.

After checking the sleeping girl of any injury she might have gotten, he slowly set her down on the soft ground and picked up his fallen staff. As he stood, he surveyed the dust-covered area, and waved a hand while muttering a weak spell of wind even with the slight strain he felt. He gasped.

"By the Founder..."

Professor Jean Colbert. Square-Class Mage, and a former captain in the military ranks of Tristain. There was a reason why he was called the 'Flame Snake' by the masses, and was believed to be in par with the wielder of the title 'Heavy Wind'._  
_

When the professor began to see the damage the pinkette had wrought, the cold wave of nostalgia sent chills down his spine.

What was once a beautiful bright blue sky, now dimmed with the shades of night. Burnt remnants and ash swirled around the area like snow following the breeze of the wind. The drawn summoning circle was now replaced by blackened soil and scorched rock, and was already flaked a fine layer of ash.

The wind blew the scent of the burned throughout area, one that the professor knew all too well. Patches of fire fed on the vegetation that grew alongside the path, and a large bonfire was seen burning in the middle. Colbert was reminded why he wanted to prove that destruction was not the only thing fire could provide, but the mage couldn't help but feel slightly queasy at the sight.

It made him remember too much...

Colbert closed his eyes and frowned in deep thought. He just wanted to forget, but Fate seemed to have a knack to remind him of his sins. He turned his back towards the dark scenery, and approached his unconscious student to bring her into the infirmary.

Instead, he heard a rustle from a distance away.

Faster than the eye could follow, his staff was already pointed and held at the ready for attack. When his eyes focused on the area that caught his attention, he ended up finding something unexpected across the now-dusty barren battlefield.

_"Well... this is certainly not what I had in mind."_

A voice. One that belonged to a seemingly young male whose upper half of the face obscured by a tattered hood. The rest of the person's clothes also bore varying damages, but still maintained it's exotic style. But, no matter how unusual the they seemed to be, Colbert could still recognize who would wear this kind of clothing: a _Battle-Mage._

The professor couldn't quite describe every little detail, but the person's outfit did resemble the mages of old, specifically from the depictions of Brimir's time. As those mages wore metal in battle, the stranger wore vambraces and armored gauntlets of royal-violet color, and a gilded pauldron of the same color on his shoulders complete with a cape that nearly reached the heel of his shoes.

But there were two little details that the professor could never afford to dismiss.

The first, which interested him the most, there were three orbs that danced around the body of the stranger. Their colors are blue, purple, and orange. The aura of the orbs also seemed to gather at the person's outstretched hands.

The second, and what might be the most important of the two, was the pointed ears on the sides of the person's hood.

"E-Elf...!" he sputtered in complete shock.

As if it wasn't bad enough, he looked like the high-ranked elves. Judging by the high-quality robes that the elf wore, could it be that this one that Louise _kidnapped_ was of royalty? Founder above, this could spark another war with the elves!

_'Damn it!'_ He'd have to react. He has to! The headmaster and the rest of the teachers would've already been alarmed by the blast ages ago, but there simply wasn't enough time for them to arrive right away.

Then there was the unconscious Vallière... Damn. There's no other choice. He really had to buy some time for the headmaster and the others, and hopefully set up negotiations with the elf even if it was a little too late.

Colbert knew he was severely and hilariously outmatched. One elf is enough to dominate a fight of ten Square-Class mages, and he shudders to think what an elf of royalty could do to just one.

Worse, he was that one very unlucky mage!

_"You there." _The elf spoke again in what seemed to be an unfamiliar elven tongue. _"Yes, you. Are you the one who summoned me?"_ Even though Colbert didn't understand his words, the tone was enough to know that he was being threatened. That, and the 'threat' the magically charged hands were giving him was clear as water. _"Well?" _said hands were now so bright that it pierced the darkness. The other two orbs changed to the orange color like the third.

To the professor, they only promised death.

_'Shit!'_

So... Colbert did the next best thing that his disoriented mind could come up with:

Fight fire with fire.

A wave of his wand made the nearby bonfire to suddenly come to life, and move all the way to the flame mage's side. The elf watched in mild interest as the flames started to form of a serpent made of flames, which hissed dangerously as it flared it's hood, revealing the inferno beneath seething with rage.

"Now!" he commanded.

Without warning, the serpent slithered towards the elf, whose eyes unknown if it could follow the snake's unnaturally agile movements. The moment it reached striking range, the snake opened it's jaws, revealing it's fiery depths and two of its fangs that promised an agonizing death. Before the elf _could've_ reacted, it launched itself with speed that even the Karin de la Vallière would find _passable_.

**_*Boom!*_**

Colbert watched grimly as the spot where the snake and the elf met exploded outwards in a gout of flame, sending chunks of blackened rock into the air and dirt flying in every direction. This time, the professor didn't wait for the dust to settle. He quickly waved his wand again and summoned a gust of wind, completely removing the cloud that obscured the result of his initial attack.

To his horror, the elf was just standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. With a tilt of his head, he just snorted, uninterested, right before the flabbergasted professor. Colbert's analytical part of his mind noted that all three orbs reverted to their original colors.

_"Whatever that was, twas scarcely worth my notice."_

The professor watched in silence as the elven mage spread his arms again, palms facing his apparent opponent: Jean Colbert.

_"You'll rue the day you crossed me." _the elf growled, Colbert gulped. _"Witness true sorcery!"_

Language barrier aside, Colbert didn't need his military-grade intellect to know that he was screwed.

Very, very screwed. Of all the mages in the continent, it HAD to be him!

'_Why me?'_ Colbert thought ruefully.

_'Why not?_' A feminine voice giggled in his mind.

...

...

Yep, he was either having a nightmare, or had just become totally insane.

He silently hoped it was the former.

* * *

***In a galaxy... far, far away. Apparently.***

**(In truth, it's just right around the corner.)**

Under the veil of the night, a helmeted figure halted abruptly in his tracks and looked up to the sky, the fiery wisps from his visor seething fiercely as he gazed at the lone moon. He was sure he felt a familiar tingle from the back of his head, something that had become an annoyance overtime.

Winter Frostivus came early, or at least, early than what he was used to. The unyielding cold, ferocity empowered every single hail of frost, was taking it's toll on his mortal flesh. Sleet covered almost the entirety his black armor's metal exterior, the unrelenting winter cold creeping upon his skin beneath. Most would have preferred to stay indoors, where the freezing frost wouldn't hit straight on, but the stubborn spirit within him chose to push on to his destination as soon as the sun rose from it's slumber.

But the day didn't last as long as he expected, leaving only the inevitable nightfall as he walked through a city whose name escaped his memory. Walking pass an alley, he took notice of the structures of the city shine under the moonlit sky. He would admit that it holds a certain beauty, but one so slight that few could notice.

Hah. Who would've thought that someone like him could ever have the time to appreciate the beauty of the material plane when he was the one bringing death and disorder to it on a daily basis?

_'...And all it took was one snitch in cosmic tapestry.'_

He chuckled silently, and proceeded to walk to his destination whilst ignoring his shivering little scaly charge that struggled to keep up with his pace. The annoyance was filed for another time. There was more urgent matter he'd have the displeasure to attend first. Nothing could come out of investigating something out of his reach. Though, he did think of what would he face in the near future.

After all, Fate's games don't simply just come and go..._  
_

_'...I wonder...'_

* * *

_(The Ancients) _

_According to the recently unearthed Archronicus, the Ancients were formed as one by the Primordials as punishment when they grew weary of the warring energies, and was flung into the vastness of space once again. Their fate was to wander the stars for all eternity as an entity formerly known as the Mad Moon, but was separated by the ancient inhabitants of the world that had ill-fatedly caught the wanderers._

_(The Cosmic Tapestry__)_

_Once upon a time, the threads of existence were woven together to create what all beings, including the 'gods' themselves, knew. The cosmic tapestry binds all together, from the most prominent interlacing to the least. However, it would only take even the smallest of deviations to influence the design of Fate's loom. __Why? Because a thread's path is never certain, it always changes. They move in harmony, or in conflict, every time at every possibility._

_It then falls upon Fate, whose duty is to oversee the elements of her design, big or small, to witness the story that each one carries. "Would Fate intervene or simply watch?" A question some would ask. It is only much to Fate's amusement to move in mysterious ways that none could ever hope to solve.__  
_

_The tapestry is still being woven, destined to never to be complete. A grand design that changes every moment, at every action, or even with but a single **thought**._

_Like that of a fiction._

* * *

**Next time on AoZ!**

_"A most compelling fabrication. For that, I will remember you."_

_"Obey? Me?"_

_"What you call my 'people' have nary a resemblance to me."_

_"Who threatens my concentration?"_

_"A duel betwixt mages? Very well. But know this: your ignorance ensured your demise."_

_"Mark these words... they're the last you'll ever hear."_

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you at least have enjoyed it. This is an experiment for me, so please do give your honest reviews, negative or otherwise, so I can improve my writing more to your liking if ever I approve of it. Also, you can share some of your ideas that you might want to implement in the story. Like the possible Omakes for instance. (Example: Have Invoker wear a fake beard while giving out free muffins.) **

**Not entirely possible, but entertaining, no?**

**Again, please review. I can't improve for the better if I only get so very few. ****I mean, c'mon! "Lame story, you suck." hardly ever counts as something remotely close to a proper feedback.**

**Oh yeah! ********For those who are wondering, **Invoker is currently wearing the Magus Magnus Set******. I'm terrible at clothing descriptions. Huh... probably the reason why people never ask me about my opinions about fashion. No wonder.**

* * *

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